Monday, December 09, 2013

ROYAL OAK, Mich. Ė The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Calvinís Andrew Mitchell its Men’s Athlete of the Week in swimming and diving for meets through December 8. Mitchell, a senior from Iron Mountain (Kingsford HS), broke two individual school records and had a hand in two school-record relays at the Calvin Winter Invitational. He broke the school record in the 100-yard freestyle in :46.06 and the 200 freestyle with a MIAA-best time of 1:40.11. He also swam on Calvin record-setting performances in the 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay. He also posted the MIAAís best time this season in the 100 backstroke with a time of :51.93. Mitchell is being honored as Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career.

Sunday, December 08, 2013

The Calvin menís swimming and diving team completed its most successful performance at its own Calvin Winter Invitational Saturday night, finishing second in the final standings with an overall team score of 583 points. Grand Valley State won the menís competition with a first place team score of 1,320 points. On Saturday, Calvin continued to shatter school records and post NCAA III Bí cut qualifying times. In the morning prelims, sophomore Johnson Cochran (Mount Vernon, OH/Mount Vernon HS) broke his own school record in the 200 breaststroke with an NCAA III Bí cut qualifying time of 2:03.56. In the evening finals, he broke the record again, taking second with a time of 2:03.27. In the 500 freestyle, sophomore Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS) crushed the school record with an NCAA III Bí cut qualifying time of 4:35.44, breaking the previous school mark of 4:38.37 set by A.J. Penninga in 2003. Venemaís time was good for third place.In the 200 medley relay, Calvinís team of freshman Brett Stoughton (Centerville, IN/Centerville HS), Cochran, senior Peter Johnson (Oak Forest, IL/Home Schooled) and senior Andrew Mitchell (Iron Mountain/Kingsford HS) raced to a school record and NCAA III Bí cut qualifying time of 1:32.83. The time breaks the previous school record of 1:33.75 set in 2002. Yet another school record was broken by Mitchell in the morning prelims in the 100 freestyle as he cruised to a time of 46.06, breaking the previous record of 46.21 set by Brad White in 2002. Mitchell later took fourth in the evening finals with a time of 46.35.

Saturday, December 07, 2013

The Calvin men’s swimming and diving team continued its strong performance at the Calvin Winter Invitational on Friday, maintaining a hold on second place in the overall team standings with 308 points, 5.5 points ahead of third place Wabash and 12 points ahead of fourth place Kalamazoo. Grand Valley holds the lead with 751 points.Sophomore Caleb Meindertsma (Annandale, VA/Trinity Christian HS) set his second school record in as many days, clocking in with a time of 4:07.48 in the 400 IM prelims Friday morning, breaking the previous record of 4:08.41 set by Brad Flikkema in 1998. The prelim time by Meindertsma was also an NCAA III B’ cut qualifying time. In the evening finals, Meindertsma placed third in a time of 4:08.51. Other top-eight individual finishes for the Calvin men included freshman Brett Stoughton (Centerville, IN/Centerville HS) in the 200 butterfly with a fourth place time of 1:53.19 and freshman Dirk Tanis (Holland/Holland Christian HS) on the one-meter diving board with a fourth place score of 342.50. Calvin’s 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Mitch Schroder (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), senior Andrew Mitchell (Iron Mountain/Kingsford HS), freshman Eli Holstege (Kewsick, VA/Covenant HS) and junior Alex Baumann (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also took third in a time of 1:24.88. In an individual time trial later Friday evening, sophomore Johnson Cochran blasted out a school record time of 56.09, breaking his previous record of 56.83. His time is also an NCAA B’ cut qualifying time.

Thursday, December 05, 2013

The Calvin men’s swimming and diving team had a record-breaking night of competition Thursday at the Calvin Winter Invitational, setting four school records and moving into second place with a team score of 85 points. Thursday’s competition featured just the 1,650 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay. In the 1,650 freestyle, sophomore Caleb Meindertsma (Annondale, VA/Trinity Christian HS) took second with a school-record and NCAA III B’ cut qualifying time of 15:59.16, breaking the his own school mark of 16:06.12. Meindertsma’s initial 1,000 freestyle time was 9:40.52, breaking the previous Calvin 1,000 freestyle record of 9:51.83 set by A.J. Penninga in 2003. Meindertsma was one of two Calvin swimmers to place in the top eight as sophomore Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS) was seventh in 16:35.25. Venema’s opening 1,000 time of 9:44.98 also surpassed the old Calvin record in the 1,000 free. In the 800 freestyle relay, Calvin went to work again, placing second in a school-record and NCAA III B’ cut qualifying time of 6:49.11. The Calvin relay team consisted of senior Andrew Mitchell (Iron Mountain/Kingsford HS), sophomore Mitch Schroder (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), Venema and junior Alex Baumann (Holland/Holland Christian HS). The old record of 6:49.16 was set by Calvin’s 2003 relay squad of A.J. Penninga, Brad White, Ryan Johnson and Peter Boumgarden. Mitchell led off the relay with a 200 freestyle split of 1:40.11, breaking the previous Calvin 200 freestyle record of 1:40.94 set by A.J. Penninga in 2002. Mitchell’s time was also an NCAA B’ cut qualifying time.

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

The Calvin mens’ and women’s swimming and diving teams will host the Calvin Winter Invitational this weekend, welcoming teams from around the state and Midwest. The Calvin sports information office caught up with head Calvin swim coach Dan Gelderloos to preview the upcoming Calvin Winter Invitational while also looking back on the season thus far as well as looking ahead. The interview with Gelderloos is available in podcast format at: Dan Gelderloos Interview The Calvin Winter Invitational will begin on Thursday night at 6 p.m. with prelims on Friday set for 10 a.m. and evening finals slated for 6 p.m. The 10 a.m./6 p.m. schedule will also hold on Saturday. All competition will take place inside Calvin’s Venema Aquatic Center.

Monday, November 18, 2013

The nationally-ranked Calvin men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams picked up dual meet victories over Olivet on Saturday with the women defeating Olivet 199-68 and the men defeating Olivet 161-111. The Calvin women are now 5-3 in dual meet action while the Calvin men are 4-3. Both Calvin teams will now break until December 5, 6 and 7 when they host their own Calvin Invitational at the Venema Aquatic Center.

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Calvin men’s swimming and diving team remains ranked in the top 25 of the most recent Collegeswimming.com national poll. Fresh off a dual meet win over Wheaton this past Saturday, the Calvin men are ranked 15th in the Collegeswimming.com Top 25 poll. Calvin is back in action this Saturday, hosting Olivet at 1 p.m. in an MIAA dual meet.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Calvin menís and womenís swimming and diving teams hosted non-conference rival Wheaton Saturday afternoon inside the Venema Aquatic Center. In the menís meet, Calvin defeated Wheaton 177-119 while the Calvin women were defeated by the Thunder 166-130. Sophomore Brett Stoughton won three individual events for the Calvin men while sophomore Michaela Rookus was a double-winner for the Calvin women. The Calvin men are now 3-3 in dual meet action while the Calvin women are now 4-3. Both teams return to action next Saturday, hosting Olivet at 1 p.m.

Friday, November 08, 2013

The Calvin menís and womenís swimming and diving teams competed against Division II power Wayne State and NAIA Olivet Nazerene Friday night at Van Noord Arena. The Calvin women split dual meets, falling to Wayne State 184-58 while defeating Olivet Nazarene 122-114. In the menís meet, Wayne State defeated Calvin 161-81 and Olivet Nazarene defeated Calvin 156-71. In the womenís competition, junior Kathryn Wrobel (Arden Hills, MN/Mounds View HS) was a winner in the 1,650 freestyle (18:04.90). Sophomore Michaela Rookus (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS) was a close second in the 50 freestyle (24.81) while also placing second in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.67). Senior Margaret Rechel (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington HS) also had a strong night, placing fourth in the 200 freestyle (2:02.27) and third in the 100 freestyle (55.71). On the menís side sophomore Johnson Cochran (Mount Vernon, OH/Mount Vernon HS) took second in the 100 breaststroke (58.37) while senior Andrew Mitchell (Iron Mountain/Kingsford HS) was third in the 100 backstroke (54.06). Freshman Brett Stoughton (Centerville, IN/Centerville HS) was third in the 100 butterfly (52.87). Calvin also received strong efforts in the 1,650 freestyle from sophomore Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS) with Venema third in 16:45.87 and sophomore Caleb Meindertsma (Annondale, VA/Trinity Christian HS) fourth in 16:58.31. Both Calvin team will host non-conference rival Wheaton on Saturday at 1 p.m. in dual meet action.

Sunday, November 03, 2013

ALMA - The Calvin men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams picked up MIAA dual meet victories at Alma on Saturday. The Calvin men defeated Alma 157.5-84.5 to move to 2-1 on the season while the Calvin women defeated Alma 163-63 to improve to 3-1 on the year. Both teams will now prepare to compete next Friday in a triangular at home with Olivet Nazarene and Wayne State.